Digital Commons Network^™

The Psychological Experience Of Cyberbullying Among Transgender Adults, Lyndsey Macpherson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although Internet use can be helpful, it can also be a toxic environment, especially toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Researchers have demonstrated that cyberbullying victimization can affect anyone; however, very few analyze these experiences by gender identity. The focus of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of harassment that gender-minority individuals encounter in an online environment. Data included in-depth interviews with 14 transgender or nonbinary adults. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), participants were asked to share their experiences with navigating on social media and the impact of what cyberbullying means to them. The …

Predictors Of Social And Psychological Functioning Among Participants In The Copdgene Cohort, Shandi Watts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the relationship among longitudinal smoking status, depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, and psychological and social functioning due to airflow limitations among adult patients with COPD who are enrolled in the COPDGene Cohort Study. The purpose of this research was to address the gap in the literature concerning the relationship among these variables at two time points, 5 years apart. A cognitive approach was used suggesting that as disease progresses and physical ability becomes more limited, then depression and anxiety will increase, and quality of life will decrease. This was a quantitative, longitudinal, nonexperimental study using archived …

The Influence Of Race And Ethnicity On The Prevalence Of Social Stigma For People With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Donielle Hyde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Various studies attempting to evaluate the prevalence of health-related social stigma in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) identified themes that coincide with increased prevalence including anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, fear of judgement, anger, and feeling ashamed. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the lack of knowledge and understanding about the differences between the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for T1DM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Resilient, Empowered, Active Living intervention dataset (n=115) was utilized to further examine this phenomenon by determining whether race and ethnicity influence the prevalence of the following health-related social stigma …

The Covid-19 Vaccine: A Spotlight On Distribution Challenges, Erica Gray

Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

A New Species Of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Serpentes, Elapidae, Toxicocalamus Boulenger, 1896) From Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, Jackson R. Roberts, Bulisa Iova, Christopher C. Austin

Faculty Publications

We describe a new species of New Guinea Worm-Eating Snake (Elapidae: Toxicocalamus) from a specimen in the reptile collection of the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery. Toxicocalamus longhagen sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from other species of this genus by the presence of paired subcaudals, a preocular scale unfused from the prefrontal scale, a prefrontal distinct from the internasal scale that contacts the supralabials, a single large posterior temporal and two postocular scales. The new taxon is currently known only from one specimen, which was collected from Mt. Hagen Town in Western Highlands Province, Papua New …

Design And Identification Of Organic Molecules As Agonists Of The Gabab Receptor And As Difluoro-C-Glycosylated Derivatives Of Flavonoids Using Molecular Modeling, Reem Alkhodier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of molecular modeling in pharmaceutical research is continuously growing. This growth is a result of the increasing number of experimental structures, the development of sophisticated modeling methods, and the improvement in computer performance by using GPUs and cloud computing. Nowadays, molecular modeling is routinely used in drug discovery to investigate biological processes and molecular properties. Herein, we use molecular modeling to investigate the behaviors of compounds with unique scaffolds.

Baclofen is the only marketed GABAB receptor agonist that is used for spasticity disorders, and it has shown promise as an anti-abuse agent. However, it has disadvantages that raise …

Synthesis And Charecterisation Of Methylene Blue Derivatives, Rohit Alluri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since its discovery, the fluorescent dye known as methylene blue has been employed in a variety of scientific disciplines. Methylene blue (MB) for intraoperative fluorescence imaging has only lately been employed. 10-N-carbamoyl linkage modification of Methylene blue helps us in developing compounds with off-to-on fluorescence switch in the presence of near infrared (NIR). Due to its naturally induced photodamage to normal tissues and deeper penetration of lesion regions when compared to UV and visible light, near infrared (NIR) light is considered favorable among the broad radiation range. The previously synthesized derivatives are not completely soluble in water, they require other …

Development Of Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting For Challenging Systems, Zhi Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural biology plays an important role in modern molecular biosciences. High-resolution hydroxyl radical protein footprinting (HR-HRPF) is a mass spectrometry (MS) based method for analyzing protein topography at a spatial resolution from peptide up to the individual amino acids. Fast photochemical oxidation of protein (FPOP) is an HRPF technique that generates hydroxyl radicals by UV laser-induced photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. FPOP coupled with MS technology has successfully elucidated protein structure information, protein-protein interaction, and protein allosteric or conformational change. Even though FPOP coupled MS has quickly had a large impact on the field of biopharmaceutical analysis, serious limitations still remain. …

Physiological Corticosterone Attenautes Gp120-Mediated Microglial Activation And Is Associated With Reduced Anxiety-Like Behavior In Gp120-Expressing Mice, Emaya Marie Moss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists as a global pandemic. Despite the benefits of combinatorial antiretroviral therapies (cART), virotoxic HIV proteins are still detectable within the central nervous system and approximately half of all cART-treated patients contend with neurological impairments. The mechanisms underlying these effects are not known, but likely involve actions of virotoxic HIV proteins including glycoprotein 120 (gp120). Glycoprotein 120 is neurotoxic, in part due to its capacity to activate microglia. Corticosterone, an endogenous anti-inflammatory, has been found to attenuate neuronal death caused by gp120-induced microglial cytokine production in vitro. But, the concentration-dependent effects of corticosterone to influence microglial …

Biopolymer Unfolding As A Process Of Biased Activated Barrier Crossing, Sudeep Adhikari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The biopolymer unfolding process can be conceptualized as the thermally activated crossing of a barrier in some energy landscape; the real-world unfolding dynamics are in correspondence with the rate of transit over the barrier. In this dissertation, we report on four projects that exploit this analogy to advance our understanding of so-called pulling experiments, in which a biopolymer chain is encouraged to unfold by direct application of forces to its two ends. Regardless of the specific experimental realization, standard pulling techniques give rise to a biased barrier crossing problem. The applied force has the effect of tilting the energy landscape. …

Student Success: Do First-Time, Full Time (Ftft) Students At The University Of Mississippi Enrolled In Intermediate Math (Ds 099) Earn Higher Grades In College Algebra (Math 121) Than Those Students Who Enrolled Directly In College Algebra?, Martina Brewer-Mister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Critics of developmental studies suggest that remedial courses may negatively influence a student’s program selection, persistence, and completion because remedial classes do not count toward graduation requirements (Long & Boatman, 2013). They have also found that over half of the students referred to remediation do not complete the courses (Clayton, Crosta, & Belfield, 2014; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010). The number is even lower for minority students (Bailey, 2010).

Using pre-existing data collected from the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning at the University of Mississippi, an independent sample t-test and correlation analysis were conducted to examine the outcomes …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Methylprednisolone-Loaded Polylactic Acid/Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibrous Scaffold For Soft Tissue Engineering, Mehdi Keikha, Elahe Entekhabi, Mahvash Shokrollahi, Masoumeh Haghbin Nazarpak, Zahra Hassannejad, Somaye Akbari, Alex R. Vaccaro, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Rothman Institute Papers

Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that tissue engineering scaffolds, including Schwann cells, may improve axonal regeneration, particularly in combination with Methylprednisolone as an influential neuroprotective factor. The primary aim of this study was to design composite electrospun scaffolds based on polylactic acid (PLA)/ hyaluronic acid (HA) containing various percentages (0.05–2% (w/v)) of Methylprednisolone (MP) with suitable mechanical and chemical properties for soft tissue especially to promote nerve growth. For the first time, MP was implicated in a PLA/HA nanofibrous and its effect on fiber’s properties was scrutinized as a candidate for nerve tissue.

Remembering Who Foster Care Is For: Public Accommodation And Other Misconceptions And Missed Opportunities In Fulton V. City Of Philadelphia, Christine Gottlieb

Faculty Articles

The Supreme Court’s opinion in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which held that a Catholic foster care agency could refuse to accept gay foster parents, and virtually all commentary on the case, are flawed by a profound misunderstanding of key aspects of the foster care system. The case’s role in the broader culture war between religious rights advocates and those supporting LGBTQ equality has led advocates on both sides to use Fulton for their own purposes at the expense of the families the foster care system is intended to serve. This Article explains that the most important constitutional interests at …

Ai And The Regulatory Paradigm Shift At The Fda, Catherine M. Sharkey, Kevin M.K. Fodouop

Faculty Articles

In Part I, we elaborate on the scope of the FDA’s experimentation, which extends beyond the fascinating (albeit limited) case studies of FDA molecular modeling and clinical trial simulation presented by Marks. In particular, we highlight novel pilot projects in which the FDA used Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze data collected through its Adverse Event Reporting System for postmarket surveillance of drugs. In Part II, we describe the paradigm shift in resources and efforts at the FDA from stringent ex ante premarket approval to more dynamic and rigorous postmarket surveillance. Whereas Marks places exclusive emphasis on the potential perils …

Abortion, Sterilization, And The Universe Of Reproductive Rights, Melissa Murray

Faculty Articles

In recent years, a new narrative associating reproductive rights with the eugenics movement of the 1920s has taken root. As this narrative maintains, in the 1920s, Margaret Sanger, a pioneer of the modern birth control movement, joined forces with the eugenics movement to market family planning measures to marginalized minority communities. Although the history undergirding this narrative is incomplete and misleading, the narrative itself has flourished as the debate over the continued vitality of reproductive rights has unfolded in the United States. Indeed, in just the last three years, a member of the United States Supreme Court and a number …

Legitimizing Illegitimacy In Constitutional Law, Melissa Murray

Faculty Articles

The traditional constitutional law course is a staple of the first-year law school curriculum and a gateway to more advanced public law courses. In constitutional law, students are introduced to a range of topics—separation of powers, judicial review, suspect classifications, and protections for individual rights, among others. But curiously, few constitutional law courses discuss illegitimacy and the constitutional issues that nonmarital birth presents. This is perhaps surprising. After all, nonmarital births have grown increasingly common in the United States. More than forty percent of American children are born outside of marriage, and studies show that illegitimacy is especially pronounced among …

Equal Protection In Dobbs And Beyond: How States Protect Life Inside And Outside Of The Abortion Context, Reva B. Siegel, Serena Mayeri, Melissa Murray

Faculty Articles

In two paragraphs at the beginning of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court rejected the Equal Protection Clause as an alternative ground for the abortion right. As the parties had not asserted an equal protection claim on which the Court could rule, Justice Alito cited an amicus brief we co-authored demonstrating that Mississippi’s abortion ban violated the Equal Protection Clause, and, in dicta, stated that precedents foreclosed the brief’s arguments. Yet, Justice Alito did not address a single equal protection case or argument on which the brief relied. Instead, he cited Geduldig v. Aiello, a 1974 case …

Spectroscopic Investigations Of Newly Developed Materials For Light Harvesting, Energy Conversion, And Bioimaging, Austin L. Dorris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A multitude of spectroscopic techniques were employed in the making of this dissertation to investigate materials with environmental, commercial, optoelectronic, bioimaging, and solar energy conversion applications. Graphene-like materials like biochar represent a field of study in which bioavailable materials are deployed for CO2 and heavy-metal adsorption to combat the detrimental effects of industry on the environment. Vibrational characterization of these materials via Raman spectroscopy is integral in elucidating the structure-function relationship and determining the best approach for material preparation and functionalization. Carbonaceous systems such as cellulose are also studied via Raman spectroscopy to interrogate the viability of cellulose nanocrystals as …

Core Size Conversion And Ligand Effects On Gold Nanomolecules Structure And Properties., Senthilkumar Eswaramoorthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The size, shape and structure of the materials determines its properties in any scale. When the size of the material reaches nanometer scale, it shows a strikingly different property from the bulk. Monodisperse metal nanoparticles are highly desired due to its unique properties which can be explored for targeted applications. The nanoparticles with size less than 3 nm, atomically precise metal nanoparticles can be achieved, whereas nanoparticles in 3-100 nm range are monodisperse in size but not atomically monodisperse. Thiolate protected gold nanoparticles size less than 3 nm forms highly stable atomically precise compounds with distinct number of gold atoms …

First-Year Students' Perceptions Of Innate Intelligence, Ability, And Interest Across Four Stem Domains: A Comparative Structural Equation Model, Savannah Lea Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions play a pivotal role in preparing students to acquire the skills necessary to enter the STEM workforce and serve as critical partners in the STEM educational-occupational pipeline. It is imperative that postsecondary institutions encourage equal opportunities for admittance into STEM domains. However, research has consistently demonstrated that gender and racial disparities continue to exist in STEM fields at the postsecondary level, particularly when viewed through the lens of disaggregated disciplinary data. One way to address inequitable attainment across STEM is to evaluate whether students prematurely preclude themselves from STEM participation due to a misalignment between students’ self-perceptions …

Faculty Perceptions Of Open And Affordable Education Resources, Megan Lowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A now-common question regarding whether or not individuals should pursue college degrees is whether college is worth the cost. One of the ways that institutions of higher learning may help students reduce cost of attending college, thereby reducing the financial stresses, is to reduce expenses where possible. One place where institutions of higher learning can reduce expenses for students is course texts and materials. This reduction can be accomplished in several ways, but one way that has gained visibility is the use of open educational resources (OER) and affordable education resources (AER), also known as AOER. This qualitative research study …

Α-Tocopherol Succinate Nano Structured Lipid Carriers For The Ocular Delivery Of The Anticancer Agents And Statistical Modeling Of Release Study Profiles By Linear Mixed Models, Sushrut Marathe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare type of cancer that develops quickly from immature retinal cells. Enucleation, external beam radiotherapy, episcleral plaque radiotherapy, and cryotherapy have been the treatment options for the RB.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is an effective antineoplastic medication with a wide range of applications in the treatment of malignant tumors., systemic toxicity, quick elimination, and resistance limit its clinical use. Due to its limited solubility, PTX formulations have proven difficult to develop, necessitating the use of Cremophor® EL and organic solvents. Furthermore, the blood-retinal barrier prevents PTX from penetrating into the ocular tissues. The goal of this work was …

Meaning In Life And Psychological Distress: Examining Veterans And Psychological Adaptation To Civilian Life, Victoria Mccutcheon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Veterans’ transition from the military to civilian life can be conceptualized as a cultural transition (i.e., acculturation). This transition means leaving the familiarity and consistency of military life and attempting to integrate one’s values, skills, expectations, and identity as a service member into the dominant civilian culture. The present study seeks to examine the psychological adaptation component of acculturation (i.e., the individual’s feelings and perceptions of being in the new culture) in a veteran sample, as it relates to meaning in life. The existing body of veteran literature has demonstrated that meaning and purpose (a distinct component of meaning) are …

Inevitable Mortality And The Incessant Momentum Of Medicalized Death, Clifford Mckay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atul Gawande, MD, affirms the inevitability of human mortality and the end of life in natural death. He decries current medical delivery’s incessant momentum toward medicalized death and recommends a meaningful conversation between doctor and patient to chart a course of care that supports what is important to the patient. But the tradition of a doctor’s dominance and a patient’s submissiveness disrupts the conversation. New definitions of both doctor and patient, and the intent to respect a patient’s autonomy, will facilitate decision-making and support patients’ values at the end of life, diminishing the momentum of medicalized death.

Using Ab Initio Quantum Mechanical Methods For The Characterization And Isomerization Of Novel Compounds, Kimberley N. Poland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational quantum chemistry is the branch of chemistry derived from quantum mechanics to calculate structures and properties of molecules utilizing rigorous mathematical equations and approximations. This work focuses on utilizing wavefunction based methods to compute molecular properties such as optimized geometries, harmonic and anharmonic vibrational frequencies, dipole moments, strain energy, and isomerization channels with high degrees of accuracy, allowing for a direct comparison with previous work and experiment. Electronic structure modeling using various \textit{ab intio} methods can provide insight into the characterization and behavior of molecules otherwise unobserved, including, but not limited to, detection in the interestellar medium.

Investigating The Effects Of Absurd Humor And Mortality Salience On Moral Identity, Belongingness, Belief In A Just World, And Meaning In Life, Joshua Semko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Humans have a sense of meaning, and people actively create and maintain meaning in their lives. One way humans make meaning is through fluid compensation, which is the automatic process of compensating for a threat to one’s global meaning system by temporarily strengthening other, non-related beliefs. This phenomenon has been thoroughly investigated in response to mortality salience (i.e., reminders of one’s death), but not absurd humor. This is important because little is known about the role of humor in meaning making. More research is needed to determine whether humor is a unique meaning-making process. Further, no studies have investigated …

The Effect Of Pitch Height On Instrument Gender Ratings, Raven Gordon Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pitch height on instrument gender ratings. This study’s participants (N=64) consisted of music major (n=32) and non-music major (n=32) students who are enrolled at the University of Mississippi. Using a 5-point semantic rating scale, participants rated the perceived masculinity and femininity of six musical instruments (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba) as they are played at the approximate midpoint of their ranges and as they played in ranges that countered their established instrument-sex-stereotype. Specifically, female instruments (flute, clarinet) played in their low ranges while male instruments (trombone, tuba) played …

Viral Outbreaks Detection And Surveillance Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology, Viral Air Sampling, And Machine Learning Techniques: A Comprehensive Review And Outlook, Omar M. Abdeldayem, Areeg M. Dabbish, Mahmoud M. Habashy, Mohamed K. Mostafa

Faculty Journal Articles

A viral outbreak is a global challenge that affects public health and safety. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading globally, affecting millions of people worldwide, and led to significant loss of lives and deterioration of the global economy. The current adverse effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic demands finding new detection methods for future viral outbreaks. The environment's transmission pathways include and are not limited to air, surface water, and wastewater environments. The wastewater surveillance, known as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), can potentially monitor viral outbreaks and provide a complementary clinical testing method. Another investigated outbreak surveillance technique that …

Effect Of Fish Meal Substitution With Fermented Soy Pulp On Growth Performance, Digestive Enzyme, Amino Acid Profile, And Immune-Related Gene Expression Of African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus), Zulhisyam Abdul Kari, Muhammad Anamul Kabir, Mahmoud A.O. Dawood, Mohammad Khairul Azhar Abdul Razab

Faculty Journal Articles

Fermented soy pulp (FSP) is currently capturing attention worldwide because of the high price of fish meal and its inconsistent supply in recent years. FSP replaces fish meal as a source of protein and energy towards improved fish health and growth. The protein replacement was employed in this study to assess the growth and health status, digestive enzyme, amino acid profile, and immune-related gene expression of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. The duration of the feeding experiment was 70 days. Five isonitrogenous. (32% crude protein) diets were prepared with FSP replacing D1 (0% FSP), D2 (25% FSP), D3 (50% FSP), D4 …

Report On The 2021 Archaeological Mapping At The Potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground On The Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Shelter Island, New York, John M. Steinberg, John W. Schoenfelder, Stephen A. Mrozowski, Heather B. Trigg, Nedra Lee

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

This report describes the scope and preliminary results of the archaeological mapping undertaken at the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground on Sylvester Manor by the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research from the University of Massachusetts Boston in October of 2021 for the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm (SMEF). The data collection was prompted by Groundskeeper Gunnar Wisseman’s observation of a number of fieldstones that appeared on the surface of the area around the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground. These stones were identified during and after a cleanup of the area. Because the SFEF master plan draft gives primacy to the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial …